A Notable Loss
by Hawkeye116
Summary: Daxter's lost something very valuble and thinks Jak stole it. But did Jak really do so? An example of one of my own fic challenges. Rated for language. Oneshot.


A/N: Here's an example of one of my fic challenges. I did fic challenge # 1. Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to Jak and Daxter, NaughtyDog does.

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Jak strolled through the streets of Haven City, exhausted from his day of work. It had been just another day spent rebuilding the city for the second time since the defeat of Metal Kor. It was getting quite vexing to him, in all truth. 

The vibrant orange Ottsel on his shoulder pounced on his head, paws grasped firmly around the roots of his hair. Daxter peeked down from his perch on the top of Jak so that Jak saw his friend's upside-down toothy grin right in front of his eyes. Jak sighed in annoyance, and swatted at Daxter. Daxter easily dodged the blow, a playful laughter filling the air around Jak's head. Jak ignored the creature, continuing to walk along the street in desperation to get home as quickly as possible.

Jak stepped inside the dingy bar known as the Naughty Ottsel, shaking his head as Daxter pounced off to go find Tess. Various people sat at the bar and in the booths, mostly tired soldiers or citizens that were volunteers that helped to rebuild the city. Jak noticed a few familiar faces situated in a corner table near the bar and approached in indifference.

Torn, Ashelin, Keira and Sig sat around the table, chatting good-naturedly as old friends enjoying good times. Seem had joined their rendezvous as well, though she shifted nervously in the area. Jak was faintly surprised to see her here; he could have sworn she never left the Temple.

"Hey Jak!" greeted Keira. A bright smile was on her face and she had a cheerful air about her and a glass of water in her hand. The others around the table heartily greeted the hero, and Seem seemed (A/N: No pun intended) to loosen her demeanor a bit as she gave a quiet, "Hello" to the worn teen beside her.

"How's the work in the Slums going?" inquired Torn as Jak pulled up a seat, thanking Tess as she brought him a drink. With the help of Sig, she and Daxter perched on the table.

"Good, but it is tiresome work," stated Jak.

"You got that right," said Torn.

"You look exhausted," commented Ashelin, running her fingers through Torn's hair lovingly. Torn rolled his eyes in annoyance, and to his luck, Ashelin didn't spot him doing it.

Jak nodded as he took a swig of his drink. It burned his throat, but it felt good all the same.

"You do good work, Jak," whispered Seem. She had withdrawn from the group a bit, sitting a little behind Jak. Jak wondered suddenly whether the Priestess was claustrophobic or if she just felt as though she were in the presence of rampaging spider monkeys with staple guns at their disposal.

The night wore on as the old friends caught up on news of the times, and finally the group was the last in the bar. Seem and Sig stayed to help Tess and Daxter lock up, they being just two feet high each, while the rest of the gang exited through the door to head to their homes. Keira walked alongside Jak; she had shared her small apartment above the new Damas Memorial Stadium with him because he hadn't had a home, and she'd had extra room.

The two entered the apartment, and Jak sank down on the couch, glad to get some sleep. Little did he know about what was to happen very soon…

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Jak felt someone shaking him vigorously, yelling for him to get up. He bolted up, crashing onto the floor from off the couch. He looked above him, dazed, and spotted several familiar faces that included Tess, Daxter, Keira, Ashelin, and Torn. 

"Look, he's not awake!"

"Weird!"

"What happened?" asked Jak groggily. He was rather vexed with his friends' actions.

"You stole my pants!" shouted Daxter in an impressive display of force, considering that he was only two feet tall.

"My poor little Daxy is missing his pants!"

Daxter marched up to Jak and glared at him in the face. "I want them back, damn it! I waited so long for them! And now they're gone!" Daxter collapsed to the floor in defeat and anguish.

"Dax, Jeeze, what's gotten into you?"

"You don't know how much I miss them, Jak! And how come you're the only one around whose asleep while the world's going to the Leaper Lizards, huh?" he sputtered in a kamikaze torrent of spit and breath.

"I still don't know what you're talking about."

"Here, Jak, have some tea so you can wake properly." Keira handed Jak the hot mug and he drank gratefully, glad to be able to break away from the confrontation if not only for a minute.

'ARG! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!' yelled a voice inside Jak's head. He spit out a bit of the tea, burning his tongue.

"Jak? What is it?"

'AHH! IT'S UP TO MY BOOTS! MAKE IT STOP!'

"I have no idea. Someone's yelling inside my head," Jak explained.

'GET AWAY, YOU CRAZY MONSTER! NO, BACK! BACK I SAY! ACK!'

Then Jak heard a maniacal laugh like he'd never heard, and thrashed his head around wildly, looking for who was laughing.

"Whoa, buddy, you okay in there?" yelled Daxter, "You look like a piece of bubble gum that someone's throwing around or somethin'."

'NOOO! IT TOOK THEM AWAY! WHY DID IT DO THAT, WHY?'

Jak shook his head, unsure of what was happening. Why was someone screaming inside his head? He crashed through the apartment toward the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror.

Then he felt a pulling sensation, and knew what was happening. He tried to fight it, but he couldn't, and he felt hopeless as he watched the monster within him came out in its prime.

Jak sat down, looking around for his angelic alter ego, Light Jak. Though he saw a quick flash of light nearby, when he called for Light Jak, the angle didn't answer, but rather moaned something about Dark Jak's odd appetite. Jak decided to ignore Light Jak and look at some memories from the good old days when it was just Daxter and he blowing Errol up. Ah, good times it was.

He felt the pulling sensation again, and hollered a goodbye to Light Jak before gaining dominance once again over his body. He was on one of the streets of Haven City, and it was close to sunrise. Dark Jak had certainly been in dominance for quite a while. Jak wondered what Dark Jak had done in his time that he'd had complete freedom.

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He ventured back to Keira's home to find his friends sound asleep. Torn and Ashelin slept on the floor, and Keira had a blanket wrapped around her as she snoozed on the couch. 

"BOO!" yelled a voice from behind him. Jak yelped, afraid, then frowned at the prankster.

"Daxter, you rat!" he bellowed as he chased after the Ottsel.

"I'm not a rat!" Daxter retaliated, switching directions all of a sudden.

Finally, the two friends ran out of breath. Jak collapsed on an armchair in Keira's living room, and Daxter lay down on the armrest beside him.

"I thought you were upset about your missing pants?" asked Jak.

A pained expression crossed Daxter's face, and he nearly broke down. "Why'd you have to bring it up? I miss 'em so much! And underwear! Oh, don't get me started!"

Daxter's wail had apparently awoken the other three elves and Ottsel sleeping in the room.

"Jak!" greeted Keira, embracing him so that the air ran out. He gaped for air through her sea-green hair and inhaled deeply as she finally let go.

"Hi," he greeted weakly. He glared at Torn, who was sniggering at him.

"Why, oh why, did you steal my pants, Jak? Don't deny it, I saw you doing so!" howled Daxter, screaming in his misfortune.

"What? I told you, I didn't steal them!"

"Would you just please give the rat his pants back, Jak? He's been keeping Ashelin and I up all night, and he even raided the new Palace just to see if we stole his pants. I need sleep, Jak, so give them back!" complained Torn.

Jak raised an eyebrow at Torn's pleading tone.

"He's tired and has a hangover from last night, don't ask," muttered Ashelin.

"GIVE THEM BACK!" hollered Daxter, who kicked Jak's leg. Jak groaned as his friends continued to pester him.

"I told you, I don't have them!" he shouted.

Keira met his eyes with a fierce, tired look. She spoke, "Jak, you give Daxter his damn pants back right now so I can get some sleep!"

Jak, taken aback, gaped with his mouth open. Keira never swore!

Keira took advantage of Jak's temporary paralysis and pushed him with one finger down onto the armchair with an angered glint in her eye. Jak whimpered at the sight of her.

"GIVE THEM TO HIM, NOW!" she shrieked. Jak closed his eyes, cowering away from her when she yelled at him.

"For the last time, it wasn't me!" Jak stated.

Quite suddenly, he felt the terrible pulling sensation. Dark Jak wanted out.

He shouted in shock as Dark Jak overcame him, transforming so it had complete dominance. It smirked and laughed insanely.

Everyone backed away from the monstrosity except for the wailing Daxter.

"Dark Jak, did you take my pants?" he yelled.

Dark Jak blinked in surprise.

"Dark Jak, you meanie! You took my pants!"

Dark Jak blinked again, then slowly shook its head no.

"Then what did you do to them? Slice them?"

Dark Jak shook its head no.

"Burn them?"

Dark Jak shook its head no.

"Eat them?" cried out Daxter in full-blown rage.

Dark Jak smiled sheepishly as it transformed back to Jak.

An awkward silence was present among the friends until Torn spoke up in disbelief:

"He ate your _pants_?"

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A/N: ….I can't believe I wrote that. What is wrong with me? 

Anywho, please review!


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